What about jobs for laid-off editorial cartoonists? Given that there might be more former staff cartoonists (still living) than current staff cartoonists (presumably still living), there are enough ex-staffers to draw a huge cartoon time machine for trekking back to B.C. (Before Cutbacks).

The Wallace & Gromit Present A World of Cracking Ideas exhibit at the Science Museum in London thru November 1st.

Creator Nick Park is interviewed, in print and on video, by Maev Kennedy for The Guardian here.

The world of Wallace and Gromit has been recreated in a £2m exhibition on the second floor of the Science Museum, complete with mad machines, giant cabbages, villainous rabbits, extensive research library on cheese, improbable collections – one illustrating the evolution of the welly boot – and kitchen cupboards stuffed with the packets and jars fondly remembered from Park's own childhood in Preston, Lancashire.

This is from the gang at my local comics shop, Jetpack Comics, in Southern NH:

Hi - Sorry for the generic email here but with Free Comic Book Day less than 6 weeks away I really need to get the word out, and invite as many creators as possible to come and be a part of our event. While many of you have already told me that you can't make it, I would appreciate that you forward this on to ANY creators you know. We also welcome Schools, Libraries, Art Groups and Publishers that would like a spot. Anyone in support of the arts in any fashion can come and set up for free!

That's right - SPACE IS FREE for creators (writers, artists, publishers, inkers, non-profit groups and more - tell us what makes you a creator and what you'll be promoting and you are in FOR FREE) and only $50 a table for vendors!

Last year our Free Comic Book Day event, with the help of Rochester Main Street Association, drew between 750 and 1000 people. This year we are hoping to double that. That's more than almost every New England comic show pulls in.

Originally planned as an outdoor festival the Rochester Main Street Association has voted to move the event indoors. While it still takes place all over Rochester (www.jetpackcomics.com) the indoor venues will allow us to have a rain or shine event in the fashion of a Comic Book Show. Currently we have to large indoor venues and will add more as space fills up.

Creator tables are FREE. The only stipulation is that creators have to bring 100 of something to give-away for free (print, comic, post-card, pin, button, sticker - JUST SOMETHING) in the spirit of Free Comic Book Day, they need to bring something to donate to the Star Wars Groups CHARITY AUCTION (a non-profit so it is a tax write off) and they have to put out a collection jar (supplied by Jetpack Comics) for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. That's a pretty sweet deal to expose thousands of people to your work.

Other than that, the table is yours! The event takes place from 10 am to 4 pm. If you are going to be a part of this please confirm back to me ASAP.

EVERYONE THAT IS COMING - please reply with # of people etc, as well as a brief write up about what you do, what you'll be giving away and any other info you want to share. This will go on our website and perhaps on the FCBD website. I need to make sure I've got space for everyone, and if you don't reply I just may forget!

Even if you can't make it PLEASE spread the word. Free Comic Book Day is the greatest day of the year!

Ralph

Jetpack Comics LLC

Search for us on TWITTER and FACEBOOK!We're always looking for more followers and friends,and we will follow you, too..to the ends of the earth...or at least the end of the comic rack!****************************JETPACK COMICS LLC112 Portland StreetRochester, NH 03867(603) 330-XMEN (9636)****************************www.jetpackcomics.comjetpackcomics@choiceonemail.com

We're eight weeks away from the Maine Comics Arts Festival, which will be held in Portland, Maine on Sunday, May 17, 2009. It's been described at Northern New England's answer to SPX or MoCCA Fest or APE or SPACE.

This will be an opportunity for many local creators to show their comics, books, and other items. If you're into literary comics, graphic novels, mini comics or Web comics, then you've heard of some of these people. You'll get to meet these cartoonists, meet them, and, if you like, buy some of their work directly from them. There will be no comic book dealers at the day-long event.

I was glad to see Joe Staton on the list. Joe is a journeyman comic book artist whose work spans many superhero books through the years. I still have my copy of E-MAN that I bought at my local 7-11 store back when I was a kid in Lawrence, KS.

Anyway, I was reading Rick Lowell's excellent MECAF blog. Rick is the man who has put this together, and he runs the local Casablanca Comics shop. I cut & pasted & alphabetized the names from the his blog entries, creating a one-stop master list of the 48 cartoonists and studios.

The list below includes both featured guests, as well as cartoonists who paid for a table. I've checked and double-checked it for accuracy, but if you see something wrong, please tell me.